Do you often work overtime? Be careful, it can change your brain

Too much work, at the expense of rest, can lead to structural changes in the brain – as observed in the case of young workers in South Korea. These changes can be at least partially reversible, but only in the long term.

The research was conducted by specialists from two Korean universities: Chung-Ang and Yonsei, as reported in the journal "Occupational & Environmental Medicine" . Using magnetic resonance imaging , the brains of 110 employees were analyzed . They were divided into two groups: those who worked at least 52 hours a week, and those who worked less than 52 hours . The first group consisted of 32 people, mostly young, well-educated, with little professional experience.

As the study authors report in a press release, significant changes were detected in the brains of employees who spent at least 52 hours a week at work in areas responsible for cognitive functions and emotions. This applies particularly to the so-called frontal gyrus and insula.

The frontal gyrus in the frontal lobe increases the surface area of ​​the brain and the number of nerve connections and nerve cells. It plays an important role in functions such as cognition, attention, memory, and language skills. The insula is located in the depression of the lateral sulcus of the brain and is also called the "fifth lobe of the brain". It plays an important role in emotional processes, self-awareness, and relationships with other people .

- These changes may be at least partially reversible, study co-author John Yui Choi of Yonsei University told CNN.

The condition is to skillfully combine work with rest , but returning to the previous state will require a longer time.

This is yet another study showing that overwork is bad for your health. In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) published research showing that overwork contributes to over 745,000 premature deaths per year. It has also been shown that overwork increases the risk of diabetes and impairs mental performance.